ASSOCIATES (vol. 8 no. 3, March 2002) - associates.ucr.edu
*My View From The Backroom*
by
Carol Borzyskowski Just what is my VIEW? I heard someone ask, so here goes:
Facing east I see my monitor screen. Beyond that a 1950's military
green file cabinet, then the entryway (on the left) to the staff
bathroom and newspaper-processing table. Still looking east to left and
right are floor to ceiling shelves where books waiting to be re-shelved
languish, crowded in by empty and full book-carts bumping around like
cats twining around one's ankles. Finally a wall containing a clock, a
bulletin board and opening out on the right, to the circulation desk.
Behind me, or if I turn and face west, are my desk with a bookcase on it
and a wall. Note: there are no windows anywhere. The room is long and
narrow, the center open to allow for the constant traffic of staff (with
or without book-carts) on their way to the back door, the break room,
and technical services, or into the work room--my area--(THE BACK ROOM)
the bathroom and the front desk. I am safe during tornado alerts. In
fact staff and patrons join me here during such alerts.
Why the long introduction? Because I want to you to all realize I do
not have a "view" in the, "Isn't this a gorgeous view" way of things, so
I turn inward or outward metaphorically. Which brings me to this
column's topic, how happy I am to see resurgence of poetry in libraries
and how ALA is (Live@Your Library!) promoting poetry. Which also
reminds me that I have written several poems about the library and one
about my Back Room , which is really about the bathroom, and NO, I
cannot print it in the column!!!
My favorite thing about attending ALA in San Francisco last summer, were
the on-going live poetry readings. "Poet's House" has partnered with
ALA to bring poetry to libraries and the public. I say YES, and also
say, check out their website!!: http://www.poetshouse.org/about.htm.
It was such fun to hear the authors read their book, and the area was
packed with people listening. I was amazed and delighted at the crowds,
and the number of people ordering poetry books. In fact, thrilled by
just the number of new poetry books on sale. I breathed a sigh of
relief, and told myself there is hope for me yet!!! Poets House
presented a pre-conference seminar entitled "Poetry in the Branches"
that was a day and a half training session designed to "help community
libraries become centers for the discovery of poetry through a
combination of programming, writing workshops for young adults,
collection development, display and on-going librarian training. "(Poets
House and Public Libraries: ALA Preconference:
http://www.poetshouse.org/librariesalapre.htm)
Remember that NATIONAL POETRY MONTH is coming up! Look around, think
spring, what do you see, what is your VIEW of Poetry in the Library?
Notice all the new poetry books, notice the variety of people who are
checking them out. Notice the publicity poetry books are getting in the
book catalogs. Open your mind, delight yourself with image and
metaphor!
For the past two years our library has had an evening or poetry and
music in April. They were fun and pretty well attended. I organized
them, and yes, I did read in them. It seems I even have a small
following of fans. This year I have been invited to read at the Art
Center during Women's History Month, so I haven't decided if I should
attempt to organize another night of verse for the library patrons or
not. Because, "So much depends on a red wheelbarrow in the rain", my
apologies to William Carlos Williams.
carolb@selco.lib.mn.us
http://www.selco.lib.mn.us/winona/default.htm